In the fall of 2010 I taught
three courses as an adjunct instructor for Cerro Coso Community College. I taught
California History & U.S. History II at the Kern River Valley Campus, and
U.S. History I at the South Kern Campus.

II.Research Presented

CSU Fresno – Fresno, CA

Spring 2008

David Berkey-Professor

Title: Looking Deeper into the
Bacchanalian Crisis of 186 B.C.

The goal of
this presentation was to share my research on the Bacchanalian Crisis of 186
B.C. as it was told by Livy (39.8-19). This began as an attempt to bring to
light any weakness there may have been in the infrastructure of the Roman
government at the height of its imperial power. The research would prove that
this event, which seemed to display some weakness in the infrastructure, was
actually used to consolidate and strengthen the power of the Roman government
through harsh laws that were subsequently passed regarding the suppression of
religion.

CSU Fresno – Fresno, CA

Fall 2003

Maritere
Lopez-Professor

Title: Discord and Disaster: A Look
Into the Nineteenth-Century French Socialist Movement

This lecture
presented the research done for the major graduate writing assignment at CSU
Fresno. The presentation described both an intellectual and political look at
the actions of French socialists both before and after the revolution on 1848.
While most socialist thinkers believed that the revolution was necessary for a
better future, there was no post-revolutionary consensus as to how the
government should have been run. The conclusion was that there was no
individual powerful enough to unite the movement, just many differing theories
that would eventually take the movement down, and open the way for the new
Empire of Louis Napoleon.

III.Master’s Degree Comprehensive Exams

Ancient History (3
Parts)

David Berkey-Advisor

1.Peloponnesian War

This element of the Master’s degree examinations consisted of
a 4-5 page paper discussing the Athenian Empire in general, how Athens was able
to extend its rule over its allies, how was the empire viewed through the eyes
of Thucydides, and analyzing whether or not the Athenian Empire fell as an
outcome of this war.

2.Roman Imperialism

This section also required a 4-5 page paper that would
outline some of the scholarly approaches to the subject of Roman Imperialism.
Most importantly, the question was asked regarding how the establishment of the
empire transformed Roman society.

3.Reign of Augustus

This concluding section of the exam also required a 4-5 page
paper that discussed the career of Augustus and the formation of the
Principate. It was a given that Augustus used propaganda to promote, not only
his power, but the power of Rome. It was my duty to analyze his use of
propaganda both inside and outside the Empire of Rome.

Medieval Europe

Mark Arvanigian-Advisor

For this section of the Master’s degree examinations I was
given a 22 book reading list which was to be used to answer the following
questions in a three hour exam. All questions had to be answered in full, and
completely from memory (no notes).

1.Describe and assess the nature of the
decline of Roman culture in the Latin West

a.What were the principal characteristics
of Roman culture as it had developed in the Late Antique period?

b.How had Christianity altered Roman
culture?

c.Which elements of Roman culture
survived into the Late Antique and Early Medieval Period? How did this occur?

2.Describe the elements and structure
of the Medieval Latin Church.

a.What were its main components
(secular and regular clergy, etc.)?

b.Describe the development of Papal
primacy in the Western Church.

c.Did it draw any important elements
from Roman culture (organization, etc.)?

3.Who are the Franks?

a.Assess their significance.

b.Why and how did they develop a
central role in the Early Medieval West?

4.What is Feudalism, and how did it operate?

5.What were the Crusades?

a.Describe their origins. How are they
connected to other elements of medieval culture, such as the Reform Church?

b.Assess the reasons for the First
Crusade becoming a Latin Christian phenomenon.

c.How did “The Crusades” develop into
“crusading” in the Later Middle Ages?

6.What are the social, political and
cultural implications of the Black Death of 1348, over both the short and the
long term? How was European society altered by the onset of the endemic,
epidemic disease in the Later Middle Ages?

Modern European History

Michelle
DenBeste-Advisor

For this
section of the Master’s degree examinations I was give a 28 book reading list
which was used to answer three questions from a pool of eight. These questions
had to be very in-depth. It was stressed by the examiner that a thesis
statement had to be formulated, and that this thesis included supporting
evidence. Historiography was also an important part of this exam. An essential
part of answering these questions was to not historians on both sides of the
historical debate. Of the eight questions given, the three that I answered in a
three hour period were:

1.What are the elements of the German
historical debate over the Holocaust? Why is this issue so controversial? How
does this controversy frame modern historiography in general? Why?

2.What is the historiographical
significance of the relatively new field of women’s history? How has it changed
the study of history? In what ways have women once “hidden from history” been
exposed? Give examples.

3.Discuss the issue of totalitarianism
in Russia. Was Soviet Russia a totalitarian state (as Pipes argues), was it a
more popular revolution (as Fitzpatrick begins to argue), or was it something
else altogether (Kotkin, Fitzpatrick, Goldman)?

While these
were the three questions I chose to answer for this exam, other questions
varied on topics from the French and Industrial revolutions, both World Wars,
nationalism, and the industrialization of the Soviet Union under Stalin.